Look for layers to improve home lighting

When it comes to lighting your house, the plain old overheads just don’t cut it anymore. That’s why this week on Home Matters, Pete and Rob are getting expert advice from Leah Schumacher with Crescent Lighting.

“Probably one of the most important aspects of your home is light, especially since we live in the dark,” Schumacher says.

While many of us rely almost entirely on overhead fixtures, Leah says a layered approach is the best way to bring the best light, comfort and style to your home.

“You’re going to have lamps, you’ll have accent lighting to light up artwork, you’re going to have stair lights to add comfort when walking up stairs,” she says of just some of the many options for adding different qualities of light around your house.

Leah is a big fan of doing special lighting in every room, especially the kitchen, where she goes for things like pendants and under-counter fixtures to help brighten specific areas and add accents beyond the boring old overhead beaming straight down.

Leah is a self-admitted “lighting geek,” and says most people don’t realize how much variety there can be, and what a difference it can make in a home’s decor, from the living room to the bedroom.

Along with different light fixtures, everyone likes a different brightness as well. That’s why Leah recommends adding dimmers, timers or other lighting controls to help dial in the perfect setting. You can even get a smartphone or tablet app that lets you control your lights at home or remotely.

Crescent Lighting is a proud sponsor of KIRO Radio’s Home Matters.

Home Matters can be heard on KIRO Radio Saturdays at 8 a.m. and Sundays at 6 a.m. Available anytime ON DEMAND at KIRORadio.com.